


History is Written in Blood and Scars

by vieralynn (sarasa_cat)



Series: Postcards from Kirkwall [9]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Blood Magic, Gen, Gen Prompt Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2014-02-09
Packaged: 2018-01-11 18:52:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1176637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarasa_cat/pseuds/vieralynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cultures clash, Hawke counts the scars on Merrill's hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	History is Written in Blood and Scars

Hawke waited until she and Merrill were alone before she took the woman’s hands into her own. She turned them palm up and counted the scars cutting across Merrill’s pale, callused skin.  
  
The number of scars were less than Hawke feared but still far too many.  
  
Merrill stood calmly, never flinching, as Hawke frowned at the woman’s hands.  
  
“You know that we Dalish don’t have a choice.”  
  
“Your own kinsmen thought otherwise.”  
  
“Their disagreement with me was over something else. Anyhow, we do not follow your Chantry’s laws.”  
  
“That doesn’t matter. This is too dangerous.”  
  
“I know what I’m doing and I’m careful.”  
  
“No, you’re in Kirkwall and you know what happens to people who practice blood magic. Not even Varric’s coin would succeed in paying off the templars if they find out.”  
  
“They won’t find out. I only do it when I’m alone.”  
  
“It’s hard to keep secrets in the alienage. Eventually someone will notice.”  
  
“I’m telling you that I’m careful. I only do this when I work with the mirror and only late at night when most of the alienage is asleep. Plus, it isn’t like other elves come calling on me.”  
  
“It doesn’t matter. You need to stop.”  
  
“No, I need to do this for my people. This is my choice and this is why the Keeper asked you to bring me here. I understand my people’s artifacts more that anyone else among all the clans. This work needs to be done. Our history is far too important for us to discard like wadded up bits of trash.”  
  
“Couldn’t you do this without blood magic? Maybe with lyrium, perhaps?”  
  
“I could, but lyrium is expensive. I would need an awful lot of it. Don’t you think it would look suspicious if I tried buying it? That would be far more likely to attract the templars’ attention and what I’m doing now doesn’t cost a single copper. Plus, no one is getting hurt.”  
  
“You are.” Hawke rubbed her thumb over the thickest scar running across Merrill’s palm.  
  
“It’s just a small sacrifice in return for something more important. And, really, it doesn’t hurt that much. You know, I once broke my arm when I fell out the back of an aravel. That hurt like for weeks. It felt like Fen’Harel himself was gnawing on my bones.”  
  
“You’re changing the topic.”  
  
“Perhaps I am.”  
  
“You need to stop.”  
  
“You cannot tell me to do that.”  
  
“But you must.”  
  
“I won’t. Look, Hawke, I know you mean well and that you are thinking of me, but you have to trust that I know what is best.”  
  
“What if something goes wrong?”  
  
“I’m not Anders and I’m not stupid either. My people know the dangers that spirits pose. We have stories going all the way back to ancient times. Our tales teach that spirits are always singleminded. Everyone knows all the famous stories about spirits who attempted to trick Keepers. Spirits lack good intentions and every Dalish knows this, be they a Keeper, the Keeper’s First, or one of clan. We know to be careful, just as our tales tell us. And, if anything goes wrong, the people understand that they must take a possessed Keeper down. That is why the Dalish don’t need circles or templars. Every member of the clan serves that role. Day and night, everyone has their eye on the Keeper, all the time. They protect their Keeper and the First from harm.”  
  
“You’re clan isn’t here, Merrill.”  
  
“But you keep an eye on me.”  
  
“And that is precisely why I’m telling you to stop.”  
  
“Hawke, I know what I’m doing. I want you to trust me. I’ve trained my entire life to do this work. You need to believe me.” Merrill hesitated. “And, if anything does go wrong, I believe you would do what my clan would do. After all, you have Aveline and Fenris and Isabela and Carver, even Varric. All of them are sort of like a clan, don’t you think? I need to believe all of you would do what is necessary.”  
  
“No, you need to stop.”  
  
“Certainly some of your templar friends would do it.”  
  
“Merrill…”  
  
“Then you have to trust that I know what I’m doing.” Hawke felt Merrill’s hands turn against hers, palm to palm, and then Merrill’s fingers gave Hawke’s a firm squeeze. “You have to trust me. You have to.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
